Aston Villa aim to reach the Europa League quarter-finals for the third consecutive season when they host Lille at Villa Park on Thursday night.

The Midlands outfit carry a slender advantage from the first leg in France, where a second-half header from Ollie Watkins secured a 1-0 win.

Unai Emery’s men will be keen to maintain their strong European record, having won eight of nine Europa League matches this season.

Despite recent struggles in the Premier League, including a 3-1 loss to Man United, Villa know a win over Lille ensures progression to the quarter-finals,potentially setting up a clash with either Bologna or Roma.

What time does Aston Villa vs Lille start?

The match kicks off at 11:00 PM (EAT) on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Villa Park.

Aston Villa Vs Lille Team News

Villa will be without Youri Tielemans (ankle) and Boubacar Kamara (knee), while Ross Barkley is ineligible for European competition.

Emiliano Buendia is a minor doubt after leaving the Old Trafford clash in discomfort, and Matty Cash will be assessed after missing two games with a calf injury.

_{^{BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – MARCH 04: Matty Cash of Aston Villa is treated for an injury during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park on March 04, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)}}

Lamare Bogarde is available to start if needed, and Jadon Sancho returns to the squad after being cup-tied in previous fixtures.

Lille have several absentees, including Hamza Igamane (ACL), Ethan Mbappe Lottin (thigh), Marc-Aurele Caillard (elbow), Osame Sahraoui (groin), and Ousmane Toure (knee). Manager Bruno Genesio may recall Tiago Santos, Chancel Mbemba, Romain Perraud, Benjamin Andre, Gaetan Perrin, and Olivier Giroud for the visit to Villa Park.

Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa possible starting XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins
Lille possible starting XI: Ozer; Santos, Mbemba, Mandi, Perraud; Bentaleb, Andre; Mukasu, Haraldsson, Perrin; Giroud

Aston Villa vs Lille head to head record previous meeting and current form

Villa hold a slight edge from the first leg, having secured a 1-0 victory in France thanks to Watkins’ decisive header. Historically, Villa have dominated encounters with Lille, although the French side recorded a 2-0 win at Villa Park in the 2002 Intertoto Cup semi-final.

Aston Villa have been strong in European competition this season, winning five of their last six Europa League matches. Lille, however, have shown resilience in knockout ties, famously overturning a deficit against Red Star Belgrade earlier this season. Nevertheless, their form in the Europa League has been mixed, with five wins and six losses from 11 matches.